Bleach is linked to fatal lung disease
USING bleach and other common disinfectants to clean the house puts people at risk of fatal lung conditions, research has suggested.
A 30-year study of more than 55,000 women found those who used the products just once a week had a 32 per cent increased chance of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The debilitating and often agonising illness, which can include bronchitis and emphysema, was linked to longterm use of quaternary ammonium compounds, known as “quats”, which are found in everyday floor and surface disinfectants.
Products containing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and bleach were also associated with the disease, which is most commonly diagnosed in heavy smokers and those who have suffered long-term exposure to dust and pollution.
Disinfectant use has been associated with an increased risk of asthma previously. However, the new study by Harvard and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research is the first to identify a link between specific chemicals and COPD, which affects more than one million people in the UK.
Currently there are no specific health guidelines around the everyday use of bleach, but the research suggests people using it may be safer if they cover their airways.
Last night the researchers called for enhanced guidelines to protect employees whose jobs involve regular cleaning, such as hospital workers.
“Some of these disinfectants, such as bleach and quats, are frequently used in ordinary households, and the potential impact of domestic use of disinfectants on COPD development is unknown,” said Dr Orianne Dumas, adding “It is important to investigate this further.”
The research team examined data from a mass study on female US nurses commenced by Harvard in 1989. They looked at those who were still working as nurses in 2009 but with no history of COPD, then tracked them until May 2017. During that time 663 were diagnosed with the condition.
The nurses’ exposure to disinfectants were evaluated via a questionnaire, and from this data the researchers identified a 24 to 34 per cent increased risk of COPD, depending on which chemicals were used.
They took into account factors that might distort the results, such as the age, weight and ethnicity of the nurses,
and adjusted for any effects caused by the use of specific medical disinfectants.
“Our findings provide further evidence of the effects of exposure to disinfectants on respiratory problems, and highlight the urgency of integrating occupational health considerations into guidelines for cleaning and disinfection in healthcare settings such as hospitals,” said Dr Dumas.
Patients with COPD struggle to empty air out of their lungs due to narrowing of the airways.
Those with emphysema also have damaged air sacs within the lungs, which become baggy and full of holes, causing air to be trapped, while bronchitis patients suffer inflamed airways.
Around 1.2 million people in the UK are thought to be suffering from COPD, according to the British Lung Foundation, with 2 per cent of the entire population, or 4.5 per cent of all people aged over 40, living with a diagnosis.
Deaths from the disease in England are the third highest in Europe, at nearly 25,000 per year.
Previous smaller studies on European populations have suggested a link between being a cleaner and an increased risk of COPD, but this new research, presented today at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, is the first to look at the link between disinfectants and healthcare workers.
Dr Dumas said that, while more research was needed before coming up with concrete guidelines, the findings may lead to a ban on aerosolised disinfectants, as spraying the substances could be making them easier to inhale.
She said that advances in non-chemical detergents, such as substances with antimicrobial properties, might one day limit the need for strong chemical cleaning products.